


The Art Of Us

by TheEvangelion



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alpha Betty, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Comfort, F/F, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Gentle Sex, Power Bottom Veronica, Romance, omega veronica
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-09
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-11-30 02:46:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11454369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEvangelion/pseuds/TheEvangelion
Summary: After everyone at her old school found out her secret, Betty was forced to move back to her parents hometown and start afresh at Riverdale High. According to her mom, the secret of surviving the high school years now is to just become invisible. After all, people can't hate what they can't see. It works for a while but after a certain incident at Cheryl Blossom's party, the popular Veronica Lodge takes notice.For Betty Cooper, being invisible isn't an option when the most beautiful girl she's ever seen has only her in sight.





	1. Chapter 1

“We shouldn’t do this,” Betty whispered and slurred, head slipping backwards into the pillows. Cheryl straddled her anyway and dove her face down into the available section of collarbone. 

It felt nice, the breath along her neck, the warmth of an omega against her body, the softness of her scent, and so despite her initial protests. Despite the promises she etched into herself that she would never be here again. Despite the sore memories of how they practically chased her out of her last school when word had gotten around about her dirty secret. Betty smoothed a hand around the small of the Cheryl’s back and tried to focus her eyes on the face above.

“It’s okay, you can trust me.” Cheryl purred against her skin. “You can tell me the truth… we all have secrets Betty. Things that we’re trying to hide, things that would be so much better out in the open.” She dragged her mouth along her neck, finally hesitating over one particular spot. “I can almost taste it, you know.”

“Taste what?” Betty stumbled and slurred, cheeks hot and head hazy thanks to the punch downstairs.

“Your secret.” Cheryl smirked and sat back onto her hips, pushing her soft hands forward into Betty’s shoulders. “You’re an Alpha, aren’t you?” Her brown eyes narrowed.

“I… I’m not…”

“Now now, Betty.” Cheryl began to trail a hand down her slim chest towards the undeniable proof between her thighs. “I think there’s a way for us to settle this once and for all…”

The bedroom door was almost kicked off its hinges. The wood exploded, banging and beating the drywall with enough force to leave fist sized dents in its wake where the round handle had been.

“You’re supposed to burst in after I get her underwear off!” Cheryl snapped around, eyes growing wide at the sight of who stood in the door.

Veronica seethed, eyes black with the kind of anger that shook her entire body. The laughing jocks outside crowded round with their recording cellphones and the rumour about Betty Cooper quickly became the last thing on everyone’s mind.

“You know this is evil even for you.” She spat and launched herself at Cheryl like a fired cannon.

Betty sat up with a wobble, not entirely sure what was happening. But then Veronica came into view and everything became briefly clear, she was already on top of Cheryl with one hand firmly wrapped in red hair and the other pummelling her. It made her lip pull into a soft drunken smile, because there was Veronica Lodge, captain of the River Vixens, resident popular girl, head bitch in charge, swinging fists like a heavyweight champion of the world for Betty Cooper. Betty Cooper, black sheep and quiet misfit, no one particularly special or important.

“Someone...get...her...off of me!” Cheryl uselessly tried to shield herself.

“Oh my god!” Veronica suddenly sat back with a disgusted expression. “You’re the Alpha!”

“What?! No!” Cheryl froze and stumbled. The laughter grew louder, the cameras pushed further towards them, the leering faces of mindless unworldly smalltown jocks widening in absolute excitement. “She’s lying!” Cheryl protested.

“I can feel her dick!” Veronica exclaimed and scrambled off of her. “You guys saw that right? The way she tried to bite my neck? She probably came in here to try and do that to poor Betty!”

“I saw it!” a voice hollered from the back and the other sheeps agreed one by one.

The ceiling span round and round like a merry-go-round. The room was blurry, the sound of laughter a far away noise as if Betty was listening from beneath water. Shouting. Banging. Cheryl storming off down the hallway in tears. The dirty feeling of shame that came with listening to Veronica’s words—even if they weren’t directed at her specifically. None of it was enough to keep her awake.

“Betty? Hey, come on you’re okay.” Veronica whispered. Her hands were warm around Betty’s slack cheeks, focusing her.

“Did they find out? Am I gonna have to move again?” Betty slurred tiredly, her brow furrowing.

Veronica hesitated, suddenly and unexpectedly aware. “No,” she reassured and forced a little smile. “And nobody is ever going to do that to you again, not on my watch. Come on, let’s get you home…”

 

____

 

Veronica’s bedroom was all dusty pink and and strung up tea lights that made everything feel warm and soft. Betty tried to insist on going home but it didn’t take much for Veronica and Jughead to convince her otherwise. Everyone knew about the Coopers, how prim and strict they were, Betty knew it better than most; her singular job to just fit in and make herself invisible. After all, they can’t keep moving from town to town just because of Betty’s indiscretions. That was what mother had to say about it at least.

“Will these fit?” Veronica suddenly appeared from the closet with shorts and a t-shirt.

Betty nodded and sat up on the bed. “I’m really sorry about what happened–”

“No.” Veronica said firmly and took a step forward. “What happened wasn’t your fault. Cheryl had no right to do that to you, and we’re friends now so if anyone wants to try that crap again they’re going to have to come through me.”

“Why are you being nice to me?” Betty asked quietly and casted her eyes with embarrassment.

“Because I know what it’s like to hide in plain sight.” Veronica shrugged and passed the pyjamas to Betty.

Betty didn’t say much. She stood and wobbled, enough so that Veronica’s slim wrist shot out and steadied her. Betty blushed. “Thanks,” she smiled and stood straighter.

“I can help you with the pyjamas?”

“Oh. I’m fine, really.”

“Really? Because if the most popular girl in school tried to seduce me while the whole football team stood outside–”

“Please.” Betty winced. “Can we not talk about that?”

“All I’m saying is that I wouldn’t be fine… we can talk if you want to talk?”

“Talking always seems to get me in more trouble.”

“It would go a way to explaining why you’re so quiet.” Veronica smiled. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you speak to anyone at school much.”

“Yeah…” she shrugged and rubbed her neck. “I thought it was weird Cheryl Blossom wanted me to come to her party. I should have listened to my mom but I… well...” Betty trailed off with a sigh.

“You wanted friends?”

“Something like that.”

Veronica patted the pile of pyjamas beside her on the bed. “Put these on. I’m going to go and make popcorn and we’re watching CSI: Miami. Congratulations Betty Cooper, you got yourself a friend.”

She watched her leave, stood there in absolute shock, swallowing, blinking, pulling herself together because one of the most popular girls at school was currently in her kitchen making popcorn as if they were old friends. It must be too good to be true. That’s what mother would say. _It might hurt, but you’re old enough to realise now Betty that people are cruel and you are different, and those things will always be in tandem with one another._ Those were in fact the exact words she would mutter, Betty could almost picture her now stood over the dishes with that familiar exasperated expression.

Nonetheless Betty pulled off her clothes and quickly shoved on the pyjamas. The shorts made her self-conscious, though she knew that was silly. She had another two weeks before she would find the uncomfortable compression shorts neatly folded on her bed, because god forbid she just wore something baggy. No, never that, according to mother people would only ask questions. Better to pretend than give people reason to raise their eyebrows.

By the time Veronica returned she made herself stand straighter, made herself resist the urge to pull her discarded sweater around her waist, just in the slim hope her dark eyes would glance and notice there was nothing outwardly out of the ordinary with her appearance.

“Why are you doing that?” Veronica smirked and shot her a look, setting down the popcorn on the bedside table.

“Doing what?” Betty swallowed.

“Standing like a department store mannequin?”

“Oh,” Betty swallowed and awkwardly softened her stance, fiddling with the blonde ponytail so she had something to do with her hands. “I’m not… I’m just standing. Why are you doing that?” She nodded forward.

“Doing what?”

“Standing with your hands on your hips like a Power Ranger.”

Veronica snorted and rolled her eyes, which made Betty laugh too. She walked to the side of the room and switched off the light until the dim glow of tea lights and the searing brightness of the television made her eyes adjust.

“I think me and you are going to get along just fine Betty Cooper.”

“You think?” Betty couldn’t help but smile.

“Come on,” Veronica patted the other side of the bed as she clambered over the covers. “You can be little spoon.”

“Wait, what?”

“Kidding!” Veronica laughed and plumped her pillows. “I’m just kidding with you.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

The school day began and like every day, between eight and four, Betty buttoned up her cardigan and closed her locker as quietly as possible – determined to make herself invisible to the tribes of teenagers around her.  
There was the art students congregating by the library, they were probably the most eager to smile at her in the whitewashed hallways. Sometimes Betty even smiled back, but more often than not she looked down and pretended not to see anything. Smiling would lead to hellos, hellos would lead to conversation, conversation would lead to friendship, and then when they inevitably found out about her, her whole world would come crashing down again. She wouldn’t end up in that special school for different and troubled children like her sister, there was no way her mom was sending her out of state. She had to make Riverdale work.

The next tribe passed were the jocks, it was the most nerve wracking part of the morning. Sometimes they left her alone, sometimes they pushed a Junior try out towards her to ask when she was trying out for the football team. They would all dissolve into laughter, she would hang her head, and on she moved like a ghost. Today they just stared and murmured between themselves, no doubt about what happened at Cheryl’s party on Friday.

Next along the hallway by the science classroom came the cheerleaders. Normally, they crossed their arms over their chests and followed her with searing eyes down the corridor – talking among themselves under their breath. Cheryl was noticeably absent today, while the rest of them followed true to form and burned their gaze into her.

All except for one.

“Betty!” Veronica broke away from the pack and caught up to her. “You didn’t call Saturday? Was your mom cool?”

“Oh, hey.” Betty swallowed and looked around, shirking her backpack up her shoulder. “Er, yeah about that, I got grounded for not coming home. You know how it goes, phone taken away, oatmeal for dinner, bedroom lockdown.” She rolled her eyes and forced an awkward laugh.

“I actually don’t, that sounds terrible Betty.” Veronica frowned.

“Oh, I was just kidding!” Betty tripped over herself, scratching her neck. “You don’t have to talk to me at school… your friends are staring.” She mumbled nervously, absolutely embarrassed to have her veil of discretion ripped away.

“Screw them. They’re not my friends, just girls I have to hang around with to stay on the team. Besides they’re all sympathetic about what happened Friday, none of them can believe Cheryl tried to have sex with you. They think she came up with that whole Alpha story so she’d have an excuse to hook up with another Omega to impress the jocks, she didn’t even dare come to school today in case everyone made fun of her.”

“That sounds horrible.” Betty said earnestly, eyed wide and unimpressed. “They should be angry with Cheryl because what she did was gross, not because they care about who she wants to sleep with.”

“Will you come over tonight?” Veronica blurted.

The halls became still for a moment, and all Betty could do was swallow nervously and process what the cheerleader had just asked of her. Was she serious about being friends? The prospect excited and terrified Betty simultaneously. There was the matter of being grounded to deal with, but, she wasn’t entirely new at sneaking out. It’s not as if Mom came to check on her anyway.

“Are you sure you want me to come over? Like… to sleep over?” Betty clarified and waited for Veronica to laugh and correct her, because surely she was misunderstanding the situation.

“Yeah, I had so much fun on Friday. I was hoping we could watch those documentaries you were saying you liked so much. My mom just got my car fixed too so I can pick you up and we can grab disgusting greasy fast food for dinner, maybe even ice cream too. I won’t tell MyFitnessPal if you don’t?” She smirked and waited expectantly.

She was grinning like an idiot, felt the smile spread up her cheeks until a little laugh inevitable followed too. “I would like that so much you have no idea.” Betty softened and pulled the books to her chest.

“Okay well I’ll drive you home after school and we can grab your stuff!” Veronica twisted around as she passed towards her classroom. “See you around Betty Cooper.”

“See you around Veronica.”

 

–

 

Betty called her mom in the lull between third and fourth period. Stuck in the corner of the disabled toilet, spraying a light ghosting of the perfume that hid her natural scent, she slowly tidied her bag away and reached for the phone, twiddling her thumbs while it rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey Mom.” Betty breathed in and tried to remain calm, sitting on the closed toilet seat.

“Hey Sweetie,” her mother chirped in a light voice, “I’m just in the kitchen at work making lunch. I brought those Thai curry leftovers your father made on Sunday… it’s a shame you had to go and get yourself grounded Missy, you would have loved it.”

“Better luck next time right?” Betty sighed.

“Well… two nights of oatmeal is enough punishment for one growing teenager, I’ll save you some. Don’t worry.”

“Thanks Mom. Listen, I was actually calling because–”

“What happened?!” Her mom’s tone changed immediately into pre-anger, absolutely convinced that either Betty had gotten in trouble, or trouble had found Betty. Either way it was always her fault somehow. “Betty Cooper so help me god, what did you do?”

“Nothing! Jesus Mom!” Betty grew defensive and her mom settled into a relieved sigh.

“Sorry, I always get on edge when you’re around your rut. Honestly, it would be so much easier if we could just home school you one week a month. I just don’t want any of those awful children picking on you again, I just worry, that’s all.”

“Okay well relax, nothing bad has happened and I’m not in rut for another week.” Betty mumbled the lie in embarrassment, it was probably closer to three days, but the semantics between the two could be enough to end her already slim hopes of staying at Veronica’s house tonight. “Anyway, I was calling because I’ve made a friend at school and I was hoping I could stay at her-”

“Forget it.” Her mom replied quickly, laughing lightly as she did. “I think Friday night was enough ‘friend making’ for you for one semester, don’t you think?” She exhaled pointedly.

“Mom she doesn’t even know about me. She’s just a friend, a real one.”

“I’m glad that you’ve found a friend Betty, I am, but I have your best interests at heart. The only reason we moved back to this place was to give you a second chance because your father seems to think you’re far too bright to be wasted at the boarding school for girls… like you.” Betty’s mom swallowed uncomfortably. “And you know what the deal was, one more incident like last time and we’re sending you to a place where you’ll be safe. I’m not finding you in that mess again, your face all bruised up and your lip split–”

“Okay, Mom, please don’t remind me. I was there.” Betty said uncomfortably. “Just please let me have this, I just want to be normal. I want to have friends and hang around with girls my own age – maybe even try out for your old cheerleading team.” She cringed on the last part, aware it was her mom’s soft spot. She always said how much she wanted Betty to be like her when she was a teenager, the perfect 3.0 cheerleader.

“Who’s this friend of yours?” Her mom began to bend, Betty could sense it.

“Veronica Lodge, she’s the captain of the team.”

“Is she on birth control?”

“Mom!” Betty cringed.

“Look out of the two of us Betty, I assure you I am the one most uncomfortable with this conversation but I would rather deal with a dozen black eyes than I would a grandchild because you couldn’t keep it in your underwear. Alphas and Omegas are naturally drawn during their special times of the month, you know that.”

“Yes, Mom, you made it clear in eye watering detail for the last seventeen years of my life. She’s on birth control, I saw them in her purse during class.” Betty lied.

“Alright well… I suppose if you’re going to even stand a chance of getting on the team this late in the year we’ll have to make some special exceptional circumstances for this… Veronica Lodge.” She finally gave in.

Betty punched the air and had to stop herself jumping up and down. “Love you Mom, you’re the best!” She said excitedly.

 

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